Hame-tug



(No Model.)

C. J. COOPER.

HAME TUG.

No. 315,005. Patented Apr. '7, 1885.

Il l llll f I N. PETERS, Plwwumognphar. wmingm, nA r;

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

OHARLES J. COOPER, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAMEl-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,005, dated April 7, 1885.

Application tiled December 10, 1853. (No model.) Y

To all whom it noa/y concern: Y

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. COOPER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chiheme-tug, including the top and sides.

cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful 1 for the` under side of the tug.

Improvements in Hame-Tugs, of which the following is a specification.

In the prior state of the art to which my invention appertains it has been customary to manufacture metallic hame-tugs entirely of malleable iron. The comparatively great weight necessarily involved in constructing of such material an article of the dimensions of the ordinary hame-tug has,however, brought them into general disfavor, despite their valuable attributes of strength and durability.

It is the design of my present invention, therefore, to furnish a hame-tu'g which shall combine with the meritorious features of the Old metallic article the additional desirable quality of lightness.

To this end my invention consists, broadly, in constructing the main body of the haine-tug of an outer three-sided sheet-metal casing provided with suitable perforations for the engagement of the trace-hook, and having a permanent filling of wood or other light material correspondingly recessed, and means for retaining and locking the trace-hook within any desired recess.

My invention also consists in further details of construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated my invention by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a per- Spective of my improved combination hametug, together with a connecting-loop at the forward end and an ordinary trace-loop at the opposite end, also showing a section of a trace connected therewith. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central vertical section, and shows the inner metal plate used at the top for strengthening the outer metallic casing, also the wood filling used within and for the under side of the hametug. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, showing the locking-pin which acts to prevent the trace from becoming unhooked from the hame-tug. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking-pin when detached from the hame-tug.

A' Like lletters refer to like parts in the different views.

A indicates the outer metal casing of the B is the wood used for the filling', as well as C indicates the trace with the hook d on the end, which hook enters in the openings h hin the upper surface or top of the metallic casing A. f

E is the inner metallicplate used to strengthen the casing A at the top.

m indicates my improved locking-pin with 'the leather thong u connected therewith for the purpose of passing through the eye or Opening o in the other end of the pin m and preventing the same from slipping out. f

1^ indicates the side openings on each side of the metallic casing, through which the pin m passes, which openings, as will be obvious, should be opposite each other.

F indicates a metallic loop or clip on the forward `end of the hame-tug, and which is connected with the hame of theharness either directly or by the use of aieXible leather connection.

Gr is atrace-loop at the other end of said hame-tug of the form now in common use.

The special advantages of this combination y and support the sides, the result being that this combination is-much lighter than a casing formed entirely fromiron of such thickness as it hasbeen found necessary to use. Not only is a much lighter hame-tug secured by this combination, but the use of wood for the bottom or under side is superior to metal.

The locking-pin used by me to prevent the hook at the end of the trace from becoming disconnected is so fully shownin the drawings as to require very little explanation. It is merely an ordinary pin, or small bolt, with a head at one end, through which head is an opening for a leather strip or thong to pass or to be secured thereto, there being an opening at the other end of the bolt or pin through which passes the free end of this strip or thong of leather.

To construct my invention it is necessary to take a strip of sheet metal, preferably charcoal sheet-iron, of the thickness of about onesixteenth of an inch, and to bend the same so as to form the top and sides of my combinationtug. Between the sides when bent into positiou I place a strip of hard wood, preferably oak, of a width sufficient to entirely fill the space between said sides and of a thickness sufficient to extend upward to the surface of the inner upper plate, which upper plate I prefer to form of metal of about the same thickness as the outer casing and of such width as will permit the same to be placed within the casing on the under side and so. as to extend from one side to the other. This wood' filling, outer casing, and lupper inner plate are all bolted or otherwise secured so as to be rmly joined together. Openings are cut through the upper and side surfaces and into and through the Wood filling for the purpose of making space for the free action of the hooks or catches upon the ends of the trace, and for the purpose of permitting the passage from side to side of the locking pin or bolt. This use of much lighter metal not only diminishes the weight of the tug, but is a considerable saving in expense. The outer surface of the casing A and block B may be covered with leather in the usual manner or can be used plain, and the shaping of the metal, the cutting ing in weight, economy in cost of material required, and is convenient in form as wel] as highly durable.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. 1. As an improved article of manufacture,

ahame-tug consisting of a three-sided metallic L casing provided with a series of top perforaing having top perforations for the reception of thetrace-hook, astrengtheningplate located beneath the upper side of said casing and correspondingly perforated,a filling secured within the casing and recessed below the perforations of the casing and strengthening-plate, and a locking device for confining the tracehook within any desired perforation, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a hame-tug, the combination of an outer casing provided with a series of top perforations for the reception of the trace-hook and series of side perforations for the reception of a retaining-pin, a filling secured within the casing and recessed below the top perforations and opposite the side perforations of the casing, and a locking-pin adapted to pass through the desired side openings and recess and confine the trace-hook Within the recess, substantially as described and shown.

4f. In a haine-tug, the combination of the outer casing, A, provided with perforations h and the recessed filling B, secured to said casing, the locking-pin m, the clip F, and the trace-loop G, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES J. COOPER.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GOODWIN, A. M. S'roRD. 

